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Question: Having trouble focusing my subject with a Canon SD600!?
I have really bad eyesight and most of the time I can't tell if the subject is focused or not!. :O!
(I do have glasses but my vision was 20/200 (vision is degenerating Sp!?)and they aren't the right perscription anymore)
People say the subject of my photo isn't focused!. I shoot in Digital Macro and there is something (forgive me I'm new to this) and it has three choices that say "evaluative" "center weighted avg!." and "spot" which of those should I be using!?
thanks for your help and any other tips for this camera would be lovely!Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
In your Menu, manually set your focus to the center dot or the center bracket (depending on whether you have dots or brackets in your viewfinder!)!. Then, point your camera at your subject so that the center dot/bracket is directly on the subject!. Hold the shutter button down halfway until it focuses!. Keep it held down half-way, move the camera to compose the shot, and press it all the way down!.
By manually setting the center focus point, you will know that the camera will ONLY focus on what you point that center dot at!. Once it's focused, you can move the camera all over the place and your subject will still stay in focus!. :)
I hope this helps! I use manual focus whenever I can, but I also have crappy vision without my glasses and when I'm outdoors shooting with a circular polarized filter on my lens, I can't even see through my viewfinder with my linear-polarized prescription shades on!. It's just like looking through cracked glass!. So during those times I have to rely on autofocus to get the shot!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com
The auto focus programs in your camera are meant to be applied depending on your subject!. There are usually a range of options that will tell the camera to determine it's focal point using different methods!. I have never owned your camera, so I can't say what the heck "evaluative" autofocus is, but "center-weighted average" means that the camera will attempt to focus as much of the center of the photograph as possible by taking several readings and averaging them, and "spot" will take only one reading (usually directly in the center of your photo)!. Digital autofocus usually works about like this - you give the camera some guidelines and it will try its best to give you a perfect result!.
The problem with some digital autofocus (cheaper cameras in particular) is that there is a lot of detail in life!. Clutter in the subject can easily cause the autofocus to be off by a small amount, resulting in a blurry picture!. On a person, this can be some piece of clothing that is sticking out farther than the rest - the camera attempts to take the jutting feature into account and thus the rest of the subject is no longer in perfect focus!. Landscapes and outdoor photography are even more troublesome (god forbid there are too many leaves, or blades of grass around) as the camera may not be able to tell WHICH thing you are intending to photograph!.
I still have a strong dislike for autofocus features on newer cameras for this reason!. My camera is a Yashika for the 80's made from steel - rather than crappy plastic - and I've never had a problem with it!. For the record, my eyes might be worse than yours!. If you are having a really hard time trying to look through your viewfinder, you may want to get some contact lenses to make it a little easier on you!. Even if you can get the shot right without seeing correctly, you'll get a wicked headache after a little while!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I dont use the options you have, so i'm a bit rusty on it and could make mistakes, i think at the moment im onto it!?!? I'm not sure if macro is the right setting for you to use!? Whats your subject and the distance to it!? - Maybe just try say portrait mode if doing portraits!? Your other questions were about it!?
Centerweighted average is the usual automatic focus!. Basically the center of the image will be sharp, most of the time!.!.!.!.!.!.its russian rulette focusing!.!.!.
Evaluate is the camera geussing where to put the focus!. If you stand close to the camera on the side of the frame the camera should in theory get you sharp!. However if theres a tree or bookcase or something in the background the camera might decide it likes that better!.
So the one I will recomend for you is the spot focus option!. You will have to read the manual or ask someone here how to drive it on your camera!. How it works on mine is there are little boxes in my viewfinder (screen for you!?), by pressing buttons and things i can change which one is highlighted, then the cam will focus on that point!.
So heres a techique you can try:
Concieve your image!. Draw or mentally picture what you want you image to look like, compositon and lighting!.
Shoot the image!. Set up something as a substitute if self portrait, or the actual object to be shot!. Arrange lighting, position camera on pod if using one!. Now the focus part!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.
Refering to the manual or just playing around with the controls a bit, lock the spot focus on where you want the image sharp!. If self portrait!. lock the focus on your substitute, then use the self timer to fire the shutter rush into the image and look kool!.
Andio kokla mou
:)
aWww@QuestionHome@Com